Front End Finding Back End

[Balfour211]

I am currently using Access 2003. My question concerns connecting the front
end up with the back end when you implement a new front end for the first
time. I will describe the method I have been using. I am sure there must be
an easier way with code.

If I have a new user, I have them "Map a Network Drive" on their computer.
This assigns a drive letter to the folder that contains the Backend. Once
that is done, I open the Front End and run a "Check Links" code from
Northwind. That allows me to designate the path to the Backend using the
"Windows Explorer" window. I have tried to put a network path into the
"Windows Explorer" box, and that does not work. My linked tables usually
look like this:

S:\Your_Folder\Data_be.mdb

This seems to be a lot of work and is confusing if I have to explain this
over the phone to "non computer" employees.

Is there a way to hard code a path into the Front End so it will always look
for a specific path on your network to find a folder on a server. Our paths
to our folders looks something like this:

\\abcd2345\Your_Folder\Data_be.mdb

I appreciate any help or referal to reference articles.
Thanks,
Scott

 

[John W. Vinson]

Is there a way to hard code a path into the Front End so it will always look
for a specific path on your network to find a folder on a server. Our paths
to our folders looks something like this:

Yes, and it's actually preferable - not only is it insensitive to drive
mapping changes (which can get messed up if the user even inserts a USB memory
stick, if the computer isn't set up right), it's faster.

Use either File... Get External Data... Link or Tools... Database Utilities...
Linked Table Manager (the latter to relink existing tables). Navigate to the
backend, not via My Computer, but via Network Neighborhood (or its variously
named equivalent).

This should only need to be done once, since the unambiguous mapping will
survive transplants.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Peter Hibbs]

Scott,

You could have a look at :-

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/Otherdownload.asp?SampleName='BE_ReLink.mdb'

which should do what you want.

HTH

Peter Hibbs.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

If I have a new user, I have them "Map a Network Drive" on their computer.
This assigns a drive letter to the folder that contains the Backend.

I'd either use the same drive letter or a network share. Then the
user only needs to download the new FE from the server and it's
prelinked.

Or place a shortcut on a root of a server share pointing to the free
Auto FE Updater utility. This will start up the Auto FE Updater,
create a new folder in an appropriate folder on the client system,
copy down the new FE. And when a new version of the FE is available
it will be copied down automatically.

See the free Auto FE Updater utility at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm at my website to keep the
FE on each PC up to date.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[Balfour211]

Scott,

You could have a look at :-

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/Otherdownload.asp?SampleName='BE_ReLink.mdb'

which should do what you want.

Peter, I looked at this program, and on initial look, it appears as if the
Back End needs to be in a folder named "PivotData" and that folder needs to
be in the same folder as the Front End. If that is true, then it would
defeat my desire to keep the BE an the server and FE on the user's computer.
I may be wrong on this. I will have to look at it a little closer.

Just for future info, the link has changed. I found it here.

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/download3.asp?SampleName=RelinkOnOpen.mdb

Thanks for your input,
Scott

I'd either use the same drive letter or a network share. Then the
user only needs to download the new FE from the server and it's
prelinked.

I had thought of this, but if I have them download the FE that is already
mapped to the proper network share, doesn't their coomputer still have to
have that same "Mapped Drive" already set up for it to work. If the new FE
has already been set up for Drive "S:\Network_Folder\Data_be.mdb", then
doesn't the user's computer need to already have a Drive "S" set up on it?

And your suggestion to use the FE Updater code is my utimate goal. My
skills are just a step down from using that at this time, but I am still
learning.

Thanks for your quick response,
Scott

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

I had thought of this, but if I have them download the FE that is already
mapped to the proper network share, doesn't their coomputer still have to
have that same "Mapped Drive" already set up for it to work. If the new
FE
has already been set up for Drive "S:\Network_Folder\Data_be.mdb", then
doesn't the user's computer need to already have a Drive "S" set up on it?

If you're concerned that they don't all have the same drive mapping, use a
network share (UNC). Rather than S:\Network_Folder\Data_be.mdb, you'd map to
\\Server\Share_name\Network_Folder\Data_be.mdb. If you're linking through
the Linked Table Manager or through File | Get External Data, navigate to
the back-end through the Network Neighborhood (or whatever it's called in
your version of Windows) rather than navigating through the mapped drive
letter.

 

[Peter Hibbs]

Scott.

Unfortunately you have been directed to the wrong file on Roger
Carlson's Web site. Sometimes the link I provided does not work
properly but you can find it by going to :-
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/index.htm and then click on Other
Developers Libraries, you should find it there under my name. It's
called BE ReLink.mdb.

Incidentally, you can place the Back End anywhere (i.e. on the Server
PC) and the Front End files on the network PCs. As Douglas pointed out
in the other post, you should use the Network Neighborhood option to
map the drives when you set up the pathname initially.

Hope that clarifies the situation.

Peter Hibbs.

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp#Hibbs,PeterS

 

[Balfour211]

I appreciate all of your help. It only took four of you to tell me what to
do before I realized what to do. The light finally came on regarding how to
link using the Network Neightobhood. That is what I was looking for.

I will look at the BE Relink to see if that will work for me too.

Thanks from the Slow One,
Scott